Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) Australians are still battling a cost of living crisis, with many low and middle income families already unable to absorb surging mortgages, rent, energy bills and everyday essentials as annual inflation sits at about 3.8 per cent, above the Reserve Bank's two to three per cent target band;

(b) the higher than expected inflation outcome has increased the likelihood of a further cash rate rise next month, which would push already stretched households to the brink, forcing many to choose between meeting their mortgage, paying the rent or covering basic necessities; and

(c) high mortgage stress electorates such as the electoral division of Fowler, where many families are on low and modest incomes and have little to no financial buffer, are among the hardest hit by the combination of higher prices, higher interest rates and shrinking household budgets; and

(2) calls on the Government to ensure that any policies it introduces tackle the roots of cost of living, does not further exacerbate inflation rates and that it works with, and not against, the Reserve Bank's efforts to bring inflation back to target.

This week, a young constituent named Kimberley shared her family's cost of living challenges. Their energy bill has tripled, from around $400 to $1,200 a quarter. Their car insurance has gone up by 25 per cent, and the family has two cars. Their rent has increased as well. Groceries, fuel and tolls are also on the up. Kimberley works part time and studies, and she's grateful to be able to support her family. But I couldn't help but notice the worry in her voice.

Then there's Caroline Gorges, a mother from Wakeley in my electorate. She wrote that her family is being stretched to breaking point. Her mortgage has gone up again. Groceries keep climbing. Power bills keep climbing. She told me that at the end of each month she sits at the kitchen table, calculator in hand, trying to decide which bill gets paid first—the registration or the groceries, the gas or the mortgage. And she said something that really struck me:

We're not asking for handouts. Just understanding. Real help. Real government policies that make a difference.

And James from Liverpool messaged me saying:

plz Dai, it's all about the cost of living and the cost of living comes down to one thing, the cost of energy.

When you hear stories like this, you cannot help but ask what it is that we are actually doing in this place to make life easier for families in Fowler and south-west Sydney and probably across Australia. The increasing number of batteries that the government keeps on boasting about—the last I heard was around 250,000 installed—is not the answer to these families struggles nor the sugar hit rebates. Families feel that, despite doing everything right—working hard, studying, paying their taxes—they're still falling behind.

It isn't just households. Our small businesses and the industrial engine of our electorate are red lining. From the cafes in Cabramatta to the manufacturers in Wetherill Park, I hear the same thing: the cost of doing business is becoming impossible. When a local manufacturer sees their electricity costs double and their overheads skyrocket, they just don't absorb them. They cut staff, they reduce hours or, heartbreakingly, they shut down. Make no mistake, small business is the lifeblood of Fowler, and manufacturing is our backbone. If these engines fail, the entire machine stalls, and the repercussions will be felt for a generation. We are losing the local employers and the very foundation of our community's prosperity.

When ordinary Australians see, or listen to, what we do in this House, they don't see a solution. They see a stage. While many of our leaders deliver media grabbing performances at the dispatch box in the House, real lives in the real world are falling apart. While the government are busy managing the optics and worrying about their next 30-second grab, my constituents are managing the crumbs left in their bank accounts. People are sick of performance. They're frustrated, angry, disillusioned and worried, and they're tired of hearing that the economy is resilient when they're skipping meals to pay their rent.

In Fowler, many of our households are large, multigenerational families. There is no saving cushion. Every policy failure hits the kitchen table tomorrow. That is why I hold my Bring Your Bill days. I see the invoices for tolls, water, energy and gas. I see the math that doesn't add up. These are proud, hardworking people. They don't want a government that treats their suffering like a PR problem to be managed.

As we approach the May 2026 budget, the government needs to step off the stage and do some actual work. Stop the red tape that is strangling our small-business owners and manufacturers. I have heard this so often from successive governments, yet nothing seems to change. Instead of reducing red tape, they've added more hurdles, green tape and more taxes.

Deliver reliable energy that doesn't treat a basic utility like a luxury. It's not just about installing home batteries for those who can afford it but real structural energy policy changes so people like Kimberley, Caroline and James don't have to face the threefold increases in their energy bills. Stop the wasteful spending on pet projects that fuel the very inflation hurting our families. Behind every interest rate rise and every percentage point of inflation is a real family and a real business owner suffering. I have stood here since 2022 raising these alarms. I will keep standing here until the government stops acting and starts governing for the people of Fowler and Australia. Our country's engine is stalling. It's time to stop the show and start the repairs.

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